Vikings in North America? Here’s what we really know

Now that the purple and gold Vikings have been eliminated from the NFL playoffs, it’s safe to share a story about the other vikings without causing confusion. Did you know it’s widely believed Icelandic explorer Leif Erickson was the actual first European to set foot on North America? He did it at least a couple hundred years for the other ‘credited’ explorer.

And that little fact is just the teaser. If you want to catch up on what archeologists have discovered about the original viking settlements, National Geographic recently published the latest. With Minot as the home of the Norsk Høstfest, we’re obligated to bring you coverage of all things with a hint of Scandinavia.